Putting together the outline for your EE

Making sure that you essay flows in a logical order and allows for the development of argument in relation to your research question is an essential component of a successful essay.

Most IB extended essay outlines will look like this:

1. Introduction - where you present the topic under investigation and the research question

2. Methodology - this could either be a section on its own, a sub-heading in the introduction or a couple of paragraphs in the introduction.

3. Main Body of the Essay - this should be divided up into sections based on how you are seeking to develop the argument in the essay.

4. Conclusion - where you answer the research question based on a synthesis of your findings, which were presented in the main body of the essay.

5. Bibliography or works cited list - where you provide a list of the sources that you directly referred to in your essay.

6. Appendices - this could include a transcript of an interview or raw data from an experiment. Most essays will not include appendices.

Note: You may revise your outline at any time, as the path of your EE may change based on what you find out from your research. Outlines should only be written once you have completed a reasonable amount of research.

You should meet with your supervisor to draft your outline. It is helpful if you have some ideas for your outline prior to your meeting. Once you have your outline, you can begin to write the introduction to your essay.